<p>ughh i sit and go on the andover and chaote and exeter websites everyday and i wish i could go.</p>
<p>there is simply no way. i dont have the inteligance compared to everyone else who applies there.</p>
<p>and </p>
<p>i could my parents would never pay for it.</p>
<p>they earn about total 100 k per year. my mom is a single parent. live with her.</p>
<p>DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? ID DO ANYTHING TO GO TO THESE SCHOOLS!</p>
<p>Haha I feel the same way. I’m applying to Andover, St. Paul’s, and probably Choate for tenth grade and I check their websites everyday! I want to go so badly!!! </p>
<p>Did you take the SSAT?</p>
<p>ok someone…suggestions? ill give you backround info to see if I could ever have a chance at getting in. even though there is no chance under my circumsances.</p>
<p>I’d be applying for my sophmore year of high school, I’m curently a freshman</p>
<p>First semester GPA - UW 3.9 think W - 4.71
Class Rank as of First Semester 17/688</p>
<p>6 out of 7 Honors Classes. ( Phys Ed ) Required</p>
<p>Community Service
For Math Club, I go to the middle school and tutor students
Have a few random community service activities here n there
At age 15, I plan on applying to volunteer at the hospital.</p>
<p>EC’s
Debate Club - Have won several state level awards already 6 h per week
Mu Alpha Theta - Haven’t attended the first tournament yet..ts coming up</p>
<p>Awards and Honors
Um..8th grade I won the Presidential Scholars Award For Bst Student
8th Grade Won Best Math Award
9thh grade have won over 15 debate awards yet, on a varsity level</p>
<p>Jobs
Work 13 hours per week average at a supermarket</p>
<p>Sports
ive been playing soccer since age 4. due to extreme family problems i couldnt do any sports winter season.
i plan on playing varsity tennis and flag footballl though.</p>
<p>No like I said, this is unrealistic for me. i told my parents that i wanted to go to a local private school becuase my public school is absolutely horrible..they asked if i was being serious. they would love for me to have the experience to go to a boarding school but it’s just so unrealistic.</p>
<p>How is it unrealistic? A ton of kids (40% at Andover) are on financial aid at boarding schools.</p>
<p>eh i dont know i just can’t see it happening. i dont know how i’d tell my parents that i want to go to a boarding school in the northeast. they’d probably laugh. not to mention i have 2 brothers also. and i would never stand a chance of getting in.</p>
<p>By your stats, it looks like you have a pretty good shot. If you want to apply this year you better start quickly! 
Just give it a shot. You don’t have anything to lose.</p>
<p>But how do I get my parents to ‘okay’ it?</p>
<p>They honestly would laugh if I told them about it. They would say it’s too much of a hassle, and I could receive a perfectly fine education at home. (WHICH I CAN"T).</p>
<p>Show them the course guide at boarding schools, matriculation, financial aid, average award, study abroad options, alumni, WHY you want to go, stuff like that.</p>
<p>It’s really not that much of a hassle, but you if you want to apply this year you need to register for the January SSAT date, but you will have to register late, which is what I have to do, but it’s only a few dollars extra, I think. You also have to do essays, get recommendations for your teachers, etc. </p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help Jonathan.</p>
<p>Hehe! Joooiiin the club :)</p>
<p>soccerstar18 – I am a parent and I can tell you that the first hurdle that you need to overcome is getting both your mother and father to agree. they not only have to agree to allow you to attend – but they also have to agree to pay for it. From what you stated in your original post about your family income, they would probably be expected to pay a fairly good sized chunk of money and it may just not be possible for them. </p>
<p>I would suggest that the first thing you do is schedule a visit to a boarding school with your parents (do two, one with dad and one with mom, if you think that will work better). Look for a boarding school near you. After the visit – talk with them about the differences between that school and your current school and see what they think.</p>
<p>Also – be careful not to get stuck on the “Andover, Exeter,Choate are the only boarding schools for me” song. There are many, many choices in boarding schools – so if you get parental buy-in, you will need to explore your options more thoroughly.</p>
<p>As far as your timeline – you really are coming into this season of applications very late. Without having parental buy-in yet, it may just not be possible to apply to competitive schools this year. There are many schools with rolling admissions, but financial aid is usually gone after the Jan/Fec deadlines. Another option would be for you to apply next year as a repeat 10th grader – giving you a year to boost your grades, resume (which look very, very good) take the test and get parental buy-in.</p>
<p>best of luck!</p>
<p>Soccerstar, you sound exactly like the kind of kid most boarding schools are looking for. You’re bright, hardworking, have good EC’s and are super enthusiastic about BS. Most BS will really like that you don’t come from a traditional BS background and that you’re the one driving this process - particularly if you can show them that you’ve done your research and know that BS will be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>As others have said, the top schools offer FA, and have a pretty large percentage of kids who are receiving some kind of aid. However, it is true that most people receiving FA are not on full scholarship, and, depending on your parent’s financial circumstances they may have to cover a portion of your tuition/costs.</p>
<p>What I’m not entirely clear on is why your parents won’t consider this option? Is it solely economic? Is it because they don’t see the value in boarding schools? Is it because they are unwilling to send you away at such a young age? Is it because they have some bias against boarding schools and think they are filled with nothing but rich, snotty kids? </p>
<p>Different objections require different strategies. But I think the first step is trying to get them more information about BS as an option. Contact the schools you are interested in and ask for their materials. They will be more than happy to send you a glossy brochure. Many have DVD’s as well. These schools spend a lot of money to market themselves and they are very good at it. This is probably the best starting point. Encourage your parents to visit this board if they have questions or concerns. We have a pretty good mix of parents and kids, and, as I think you’re discovering, most people try to be pretty helpful.</p>
<p>However, if you’re really interested, you need to get moving immediately because time is running out and deadlines are fast approaching. Unfortunately, applying to these schools involves a lot of work. You have to sign up for and take the SSAT’s. You need to get and fill out the application materials. You need to arrange for recommendations from your teachers. You need to have your school send out your transcript. Many schools require your parents to complete a portion of the application. In a perfect world you would actually come up and tour the schools you’re interested in. </p>
<p>I know all this may sound daunting - but every journey begins with a single step, and that’s how you should approach this. Take it one step at a time. And I think the first step is to figure out what schools you’re interested in, contact them and get their application materials. I would e-mail them today. Then sign up for the SSAT’s. They’re not expensive to take, and even if you end up not applying it’s great practice for the SAT’s which you’ll have to take in a couple of years.</p>
<p>Good luck and keep us posted.</p>
<p>Join the club…i think everyone on this site owuld do anything…good luck.</p>
<p>I’d sell my grandma!
…Well…no I wouldn’t. But I’d quit swimming for Boarding School and that is SOMETHING HUGE!</p>
<p>okay great.i just mentioned about going to a boarding school to my mom. in a nutshell, she said hell no you’re not leaving for a year, and we can’t afford it.</p>
<p>you shouldn’t have approaced it like that! i wrote a seven page letter and got all my information together and had all my arguments ready! write a letter and try again!</p>
<p>have you considered a year abroad? your parents might be more receptive and there are several programs that are low or no cost.</p>
<p>I would get the same response. “There is no reason .” or “You’re not leaving here for a year.”</p>
<p>i’m so sorry! But i’m sure you’ll still do amazing in life!</p>